Some Chinese Internet users have this week been able to access blocked websites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, relishing the newfound freedom although the reason for the breach in China’s Great Firewall of censorship was a mystery.
China blocks most foreign social networking sites (SNS) out of fear that unfettered access would lead to instability. Chinese SNS firms have filled the void by offering similar products that censor topics the government may find sensitive.

Weibo is a microblogging platform, similar to Twitter, that allows users to post short messages and follow other users. Internet users including students on university campuses reported that they were able to access YouTube, Facebook and Twitter on their mobile phones and desktops in the afternoon and evening on Monday and Tuesday. Read the full article »»»»

When it comes to China, Facebook should consider itself forewarned. Cracking the world’s biggest Internet population might seem an obvious ambition for the social networking giant as it trumpets its global growth before a $5 billion initial public offering, but the chances it will succeed look slim. Facebook said last week it was contemplating re-entering China, the world’s second-biggest economy, after being blocked nearly three years ago. Facebooks offering would likely face intense competition, political meddling and little commercial success.

There are just six countries in the world where Facebook is not the most popular social networking site, Mark Zuckerberg clearly has his sights set on all six.

Japan, India and Korea currently have popular local alternatives to Facebook, and the Chinese government has no intention of lifting its ban on the site. Read the full article »»»»